


waltzing with a dream

by Husaria



Category: Frozen (Disney Movies)
Genre: F/F, First Dance, Mutual Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-24
Updated: 2019-12-24
Packaged: 2021-02-25 23:34:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,100
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21733852
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Husaria/pseuds/Husaria
Summary: Elsa says she doesn't dance. Honeymaren asks her anyway.
Relationships: Elsa/Honeymaren (Disney)
Comments: 12
Kudos: 246





	waltzing with a dream

**Author's Note:**

> I've been sitting on this for like a month but I finally pushed through and finished it this week.
> 
> Also [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAJIMBqlGWo) is the waltz I had in mind while writing this.

Groups of people walked into the dance floor, many of them in pairs, lining up in two lines and spinning and half-stepping delicately. Without a doubt, Arendellian dances were quite different than Northuldran ones, Honeymaren thought. But there was one dance Anna recommended called the waltz, and Honeymaren spent the past month stepping on Ryder’s feet trying to learn it. 

“This dance looks a bit complicated,” said Honeymaren. She vaguely remembered reading about these particular steps in a book. 

“It’s not the hardest one,” said Elsa. “It’s a Poland…something.” 

“A polonaise,” said Honeymaren without thinking. 

“You’ve heard of them?” asked Elsa. 

“Um, no!” Honeymaren said quickly. A month before Anna’s coronation, she asked Anna through Gale what she knew about Arendellian dances, and Anna happily responded with a small book on common dances throughout the Continent. “I-I must have heard about them…from somewhere.” She had to move the conversation elsewhere. “You took dancing lessons?” 

“Of course, but I was terrible at it,” said Elsa. “Anna was always the dancer.” 

Honeymaren found that hard to believe. How could someone as elegant as Elsa be terrible at dancing? 

“But did you ever dance at your coronation party?” asked Honeymaren. 

“Oh no,” said Elsa. “Certainly, not _that_ time.” 

“Why not?” 

“That started the incident where I froze everything.” 

Honeymaren gaped. Elsa had told her that story before, how she set off an eternal winter and froze her sister’s heart. The scared young queen in the story seemed like such a far cry from the confident woman Honeymaren knew. 

“Oh…” Honeymaren just said. 

“That was four years ago,” said Elsa. She took a sip of her champagne. “Wow, how time flies…” 

She sipped her champagne. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught Elsa staring at her. 

“Uh, were you going to say something?” asked Honeymaren. 

“Oh! No,” said Elsa. “Wait, yes. You might have something in your braid.” 

“I do?” Honeymaren swung her braid over her shoulder, checking for any leaves or twigs. 

“O-Oh, ahh, I might not have seen something after all.” Elsa chuckled. “Sorry.” 

“Hi, Honeymaren!” said Anna, suddenly popping up between them. “Can I just steal Elsa from you real quick?” 

“Sure,” said Honeymaren. She tried to find Ryder through the crowd and spotted him talking to a red-haired man in a tartan kilt. 

Anna led Elsa away from Honeymaren and then said, “You need to stop sending all those men after me! I’m pretty sure the last guy broke a few of my toes during a waltz.” 

Elsa sighed, recalling how she had been offered a dance by at least five different men. “I’m sorry. They just keep coming over wanting to dance with me.” 

“You’re really not going to let _one_ guy dance with you?” asked Anna. 

“Mmm.” Elsa scanned the crowd of people. “No. And I can’t exactly carry a big sign saying _No Dancing_.” 

“Then why did you ask me for a refresher on waltzes if you’re not going to dance with anyone?” asked Anna. 

“I was just being curious,” said Elsa. She felt heat rise to her cheeks. 

“Who are you looking for?” 

“No one,” Elsa said quickly. 

“You’re an _awful_ liar,” said Anna. “You’re _clearly_ looking for someone.” She had a wide smile on her face and her eyes let on more than what she was telling Elsa. 

“I am _not_ ,” Elsa insisted. 

Anna looked closely at Elsa’s face. “Are you _blushing_?” 

“I am not!” said Elsa, blushing harder. 

Anna raised her hands. “No pressure. No pressure. I’m just being curious.” 

Elsa spotted Honeymaren speaking with Ryder and let out a sigh of relief, but then she thought why? She tried to imagine Honeymaren dancing with another man or even another woman, but sadness and disappointment filled her mind instead. 

“Where’ve you been all evening?” Honeymaren asked Ryder. 

“Talking with people,” Ryder said quickly. A slight blush was present on his cheeks and Honeymaren had no idea if it was from the champagne or the red-haired man. “Hey, are you ever going to ask Elsa to dance?” 

“I _will_ …sometime.” 

“Well, _one_ of you is going to have to make the first move,” said Ryder. 

“You think I don’t know that,” Honeymaren snapped. 

“Yeesh, I was just _saying_. You’ve been crushing my feet for the past month learning these dances, might as well _do_ that.” 

Honeymaren sighed. “Sorry. It’s just…I saw her turn down all these men saying she won’t dance.” She watched the bubbles in her glass rise to the top. “What if she does the same to me, and I just humiliate myself?” 

“Then you’ll cry, eat lots of berries, and go on dramatic rides in the woods alone.” Honeymaren stared at him in disbelief. “But you really won’t know unless you try.” 

Honeymaren drained the rest of her champagne. She hated to admit it but Ryder had a point. 

“Look, I think this song is ending, so maybe this is your best shot at asking her,” said Ryder. 

Honeymaren watched Elsa still talking to Anna. “You’re right.” 

Ryder beamed. “I know I am.” 

“Take this.” She handed him the champagne glass. 

“Good luck!” Ryder whispered as she made her way through the crowd of people. 

Elsa turned and their eyes met. There was a hint of surprise in her expression but also a tenderness that Honeymaren hadn’t seen before. 

She stepped forward and cleared her throat. 

“Anna, can I ask your sister something?” 

The biggest smile broke across Anna’s face. “Oh gosh, of course!” She took a few steps back, hands over her mouth. 

“Elsa?” 

Elsa smiled demurely. “Yes?” 

Honeymaren gaped. 

“Everything okay?” asked Elsa. 

“Yes! Um, what I meant to say was…” Honeymaren cleared her throat again and gulped. 

She took a deep breath. 

“Can I… _May_ I…ask you to dance?” 

She held out her hand and bowed slightly like she noticed men doing. 

“Yes.” 

“Wait, really?” Honeymaren said, tilting her head up. 

“I…” Elsa nodded. “I think I’d like that.” 

Honeymaren heard a squeal behind Elsa that could have only come from Anna. 

_“Really?”_ she repeated, standing up straight. 

“Yes, I’ve…” Elsa chuckled and took Honeymaren’s hand. “I thought you’d never ask.” 

“You…” _She wanted to dance with me this whole time_? She blinked a few times in shock. 

“Should we go?” asked Elsa softly. 

“Y-Yeah!” said Honeymaren. “Let’s go.” 

At the sight of the elusive Snow Queen stepping onto the dance floor, the sea of people parted before the two of them. A quiet hush fell over the crowd, many turning to look at them. Even the other dancers—lined up on one side of the circle for men and the opposite side of women—stared. Elsa tried to not make eye contact with anyone else. 

Anna darted over to the band, whispered something, and then dashed back over to Kristoff, giving the two a thumbs-up. 

“Is…Is this a waltz?” asked Honeymaren, as the violins began to play. 

“It must be…” said Elsa. “I-I only learned the women’s part.” 

“I—I’ll go in the men’s line then.” 

The men and women faced each other in two lines. By far the shortest person in the men’s line, Honeymaren stood extremely still, muscles tense, both hands behind her back. 

_You’ll do fine_ , she told herself. She and the rest of the men’s line stepped forward until they were directly in front of the women. _It’ll be fine. It’ll be just like practice with Ryder._

Honeymaren bowed and held out her right hand, her left hand still behind her back. 

Elsa bowed in return, some of her hair falling into her face, and took Honeymaren’s hand. 

“We’re doing fine…” Elsa whispered out of the corner of her mouth. “I think. You can relax a little.” 

“Wait,” Honeymaren hissed, turning towards Elsa. “I’m supposed to put my hand on your waist. Right, you’re supposed to do that.” 

Elsa gasped sharply as Honeymaren touched her, a jolt going through her. 

“You alright?” 

“I’m fine,” Elsa said quickly. 

“Then…” Honeymaren’s free hand ghosted along Elsa’s wrist and intertwined their fingers. “This looks right, right?” 

Both of them became keenly aware that this was the closest they had physically been with each other. There was less than a foot between their bodies. 

“Yeah.” Elsa’s mouth had dried. She should have formed some snowflakes earlier for herself. 

The band played an elegant, swelling melody on the violin and clarinets. 

_One, two, three…_

Honeymaren stepped backward with one foot, and Elsa stepped forward with the other. She breathed out a sigh of relief. Both of them stepped and turned fluidly in time with the music. 

“You said you didn’t dance,” whispered Honeymaren with a small smile. 

“I don’t. How do _you_ know how to waltz?” asked Elsa. 

“I told you, I might’ve read a few things.” Honeymaren chuckled. 

Honeymaren lost herself in Elsa’s eyes. The Snow Queen felt right in her arms, and her breath shuddered, their steps flowing between them like water in a stream. 

“You learned all of this from just reading?” she said, more breathless than she expected. 

“Well, Ryder might’ve helped me a little,” said Honeymaren. 

“So _that’s_ why both of you kept going off ‘riding reindeer’ for the past month.” 

“We didn’t want you following us. And is _that_ why you were in Arendelle so much?” 

“I like charades but not _that_ much,” said Elsa. 

“You’re not _that_ bad at it.” 

The hand on Elsa’s waist trembled and hesitantly eased onto the small of her back, moving forward just slightly so that there was a hair’s breadth between them. Elsa could count every freckle on Honeymaren’s face and heard the shortness of her breathing. The heat between them grew so powerful Elsa wanted to melt. 

_“Snow?”_

Elsa missed a step and gasped. The other couples stopped mid-dance to gaze in wonder at the snowflakes falling from the ceiling. Elsa went through the motions of the dance, but her mind was elsewhere, remembering her own coronation from four years ago. 

“Elsa?” Honeymaren’s voice brought her out of the past. 

“Should we stop?” Elsa whispered. “I’m making it snow…” 

Snowflakes settled on Honeymaren’s hat and bangs. “Not if you don’t want to.” 

Desire and fear swelled inside Elsa like the crescendo of the violins. 

Honeymaren tilted her head to the side. “Hey…” She hesitated, and then put a warm hand on Elsa’s cheek and Elsa caught a hint of champagne on her breath. “It’s okay. It’s not scaring me. Pretend no one else is here.” 

They were so close Elsa could see the snowflakes clinging to her eyelashes. 

Elsa gave in. 

The couple turned and continued as if nothing happened. Honeymaren gazed in awe as Elsa twirled, her gown and veil gliding with the glittering snowflakes surrounding them. And when Elsa came back to her, snow-white hair flowing behind her back, she was perfect. _No, not perfect,_ Honeymaren thought. _Ethereal._

The music swelled in its climax, and Elsa held onto Honeymaren, as she fell backward, steadied by Honeymaren’s firm grasp on the small of her back. Honeymaren leaned forward as if she was Prince Charming about to kiss Elsa out of a dream. Their chests rose and fell with each gasping breath, both of their cheeks flushing red. 

After the music stopped, the two of them separated, still holding hands, and bowed to raucous applause. The snow had stopped falling, but a thin layer covered the floor and the heads of the guests. 

The dream had ended in real life but continued to smolder in their eyes. 

“You guys were _amazing_!” Anna exclaimed. “I’m so glad both of your dancing lessons paid off!” 

“Wait—” said Elsa. 

“Both—?” 

Elsa and Honeymaren looked at each other and then back at Anna. “You knew both of us wanted to dance for each other this whole time?” asked Elsa. 

“Is _that_ why you suggest I learn the men’s part?” said Honeymaren. 

Anna nodded enthusiastically. “I miiiight have suggested some things. But I had help.” 

Honeymaren had a nagging feeling. “Who…?” 

Ryder’s eyes darted to the floor. “Uhhh…” 

“You too?!” said Honeymaren. 

“You guys kept making eyes at each other and not doing anything about it!” said Ryder. “I was so tempted to tell you to get your own lavvu.” 

“So, are you both gonna dance again?” Anna asked. “I can ask the band to do another waltz.” 

“I think we’re both all danced-out for now,” said Honeymaren. Other groups moved into the dance floor, but leaving the ballroom with Elsa sounded much more appealing. 

Elsa squeezed her hand. “So…do you want to go for a walk?” 

“I thought you’d never ask.” 

**Author's Note:**

> Writing dancing? A lot harder than you'd think.


End file.
